Vitamins and Supplements for Eye Health

Ask Phoenix Eye Doctors, and they’ll tell you there’s no doubt that nutrition and vision health are closely linked. Like most parts of your body, your eyes require certain vitamins and minerals for top performance. However, since your eyes are specialized, they have different nutritional requirements that aren’t always met by diets.

According to eye doctors, the most important vision supplements are:

Antioxidant Vitamins: Vitamins A, C, E are all antioxidants. They combat the slow breakdown of our cells that’s a byproduct of oxygen use, and can slow down age-related macular degeneration.

Zinc: Our eyes are one of the few body structures that require the metal zinc to function, which is also often found in dark meats like turkey.

Lutein and zeaxanthin: These are also called carotinoids (yes, as in carrots), and they help your eyes transition between light and dark, as well as seeing through glare.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3, mostly found in common fish, helps keep the eyes lubricated and may also help prevent macular degeneration.

Do You Need To Take Supplemental Eye Vitamins?

The short version is, probably not.

With the potential exception of zinc, most balanced diets already contain enough vitamins and minerals to keep our eyes healthy. Plus, zinc supplements can be risky since some people have serious zinc allergies that aren’t discovered until a supplement is taken.

Generally speaking, a diet with a good mix of meats, fish, and colorful veggies will provide everything your eyes need. However, if you’re in doubt, it’s certain that any over-the-counter multivitamin will cover any deficiencies.

And if you’re ever curious whether a particular food is beneficial for the eyes, your friendly Phoenix eye doctors will be happy to answer your questions!